The Dolphin food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · Canterbury City
The Dolphin holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the pub are good. It is a solid result, the inspector found nothing serious, though a 5 was just out of reach.
The rating: 4 - Good
This is a fresh result: The Dolphin was inspected on 18 May 2026, so the rating reflects what the inspector found very recently.
Address: 17 St Radigunds Street, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 2AA
How it compares in Canterbury City
In Canterbury City, 78% of rated places manage a 5, so The Dolphin sits behind roughly 1,161 nearby businesses. 12% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,161 | 78% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 185 | 12% | ← The Dolphin | |
| 3 out of 5 | 120 | 8% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 14 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 2 | <1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 1 | <1% |
A further 166 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Good
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Generally satisfactory
- How well they manage food safety Good
An inspection scores three things: how food is handled, the physical condition of the premises, and how much the inspector trusts management to keep standards up. At The Dolphin none of the three raised a concern, the overall rating is only ever as strong as its weakest area, so a clean sweep is what produces a high score.
Food hygiene ratings nearby
The closest food businesses to The Dolphin, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barakat Food Centre Retailers - other | 115 yards away | 5 - Very good | 13 November 2023 |
| Cafe Turquoise Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 138 yards away | 5 - Very good | 16 October 2025 |
| Allsorts Of Sweet Canterbury Retailers - other | 141 yards away | 5 - Very good | 5 June 2026 |
| Cinnamon Takeaway/sandwich shop | 166 yards away | 5 - Very good | 10 April 2024 |
| Caterlink - St John's Cep School/college/university | 177 yards away | 5 - Very good | 10 March 2025 |
| Bell & Crown Public House Pub/bar/nightclub | 221 yards away | 5 - Very good | 26 January 2026 |
| Chums Social Centre Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 255 yards away | 5 - Very good | 22 January 2026 |
| Bengal Mart Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 274 yards away | 5 - Very good | 10 December 2025 |
Questions about The Dolphin
What is The Dolphin's food hygiene rating?
The Dolphin has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Canterbury City Council on 18 May 2026.
Is The Dolphin safe to eat at?
The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 4 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this pub to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was The Dolphin last inspected?
The Dolphin was last inspected on 18 May 2026, a month ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Canterbury City Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Dolphin?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", and confidence in the management of food safety "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Dolphin compare to other places in Canterbury City?
78% of the 1,483 rated food businesses in Canterbury City hold the top rating of 5, while The Dolphin holds a 4. 185 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Canterbury City Council inspects The Dolphin and sets the rating; the Food Standards Agency publishes it. Neither the business nor this site can change a rating, a business that disagrees can appeal to its council, and can request a re-inspection once it has fixed the problems.
Tell me when this changes
The Food Standards Agency publishes only a business's rating today, not what it scored before, and not when it moves. We check every UK rating each night. Watch The Dolphin and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
Free, for three businesses, forever. No password, we send you a link. How rating alerts work →
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Canterbury City inspects and rates 1,649 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Canterbury City →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.canterbury.gov.uk
Rating from the Food Standards Agency under the Open Government Licence. Ratings reflect standards found at the time of inspection and can change. If you think a rating is wrong, the official record is held by the FSA and the local authority; corrections there flow through here. How ratings work →